Jones calls on Hatters fans to trust his recruitment policy

Mike Simmonds

A passionate Luton chief Nathan Jones has called on the club’s fans to trust his recruitment policy at Kenilworth Road.

The Town boss has signed four players so far, Alan Sheehan, Jonathan Mitchell, Glen Rea and Joe Pigott, all on loan deals to the end of the season, although Mitchell has since returned to parent club Derby after he was recalled as cover.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones congratulates Glen Rea

Jones insisted there is a clear strategy behind anyone that he brings into the club going forward and wants supporters to have full faith in any future additions, as he said: “I haven’t brought in anyone here that has weakened our squad, the four I brought in have been outstanding players.

“We’ve brought in Alan Sheehan who’s been outstanding, we’ve bought in Jonny Mitchell who’s outstanding, Glen Rea, for a young lad, outstanding and then Joe, who has taken a little bit more time to settle.

“I need the fans to trust me, that when we bring a player in, he won’t be someone that’s going to end up costing us money in the long run, he won’t be someone that we can’t play or can’t use, or proves to be ridiculous, it won’t be that.

“We’re bringing value here, bringing young quality, we’re bringing quality, whether it’s young or old, so just bear with us, trust us to do it right.

“So whoever we bring in, they may not hit the ground straight away, but they will be good for Luton Town, I promise you and just trust my judgement.”

Nathan Jones

“Everyone we bring in, there’s actually a process to who we bring in, there’s a structure to who we bring in.

“We don’t bring in people that are no good to Luton, that are short term fixes, that we don’t see taking us forward, that are not better than what we have here, that’s recruitment, and that’s what we do.

“We’ve got 30 odd players here and we’ve got a lot of players that we really can’t use. That’s not going to happen anymore and that’s what we’re saying about people we bring in.

“So whoever we bring in, they may not hit the ground straight away, but they will be good for Luton Town, I promise you and just trust my judgement.

“I haven’t come from the club I’ve come from, on the brink of the Premier League to just do things willy-nilly and have a little gamble up or a little play at this. This is my life, this is what I do, this is what we do.”

Jones was making the plea after some fans had been quick to get on the back of striker Pigott who was signed on loan from Charlton Athletic.

He failed to score in his opening 10 games and received some stick during the 1-0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge, but showed just what he is capable of with a fine brace at Oxford United on Saturday helping to seal a 3-2 victory.

The boss added: “He’s a goalscorer, he thrives on those things and he’ll come good, I know he will.

“He responded against the best side in the league with two clinical, clinical finishes and if our final ball had been a bit better he’d have got a hat-trick.

“He did need a first goal but it doesn’t help with a lot of negativity surrounding it because he’s a good young player.

“We want to get there and it takes time to build that, so I’m saying to the fans, it’s not going to happen over night, we’re a good side, got good young players, got a philosophy, got a way of playing now, and we’re going to do them proud.

“The ones that really believed it from the beginning can pat themselves on the back, the ones that just cheer when we win, okay, we need to educate them, we need to get them with us because we’re building something.”